Automatic-sprinkler closer.



L. D. MOREY AUTOMATIC SPRINKLBR CLOSER.

VAPPLIMJIION FILED JUNE 1, 1904.

Patented June 4, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

CDLUMHM PLANouRAPH C0.,wASHxNOTON. D. C.

L. D. MOREY.v

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER CLOSER.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNB1,1904.

1,028,247. Patented June 4, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. w s? CQLUMBIA PLANOURAPH c0..w.\sHlNuToN. D. c.

LEONARD D. IVIOREY, OF WATERTOWN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIG-NOR OF ONE-HALF T0JULIUS I-I. IBRONSON, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT. 'L

AUTOMATIC-SPRINKLER CLOSER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une a, i912.

T0 all whom t may concern Be it known that I, LEONARD D. MoRnY, ofWatertown, in the county of Litcheld and State of Connecticut, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic- SprinklerClosers; and I do hereby declare the following specication, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same,to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

.In the case of a re in a building equipped with automatic sprinklers itfrequently happens that for one cause or another the water cannot beshut 0H promptly after the sprinklers hav-e operated and after the firein the vicinity of the opened sprinklers has been extinguished, with theresult that a greater or less amount of water damage is occasioned bythe flow of water from the open sprinklers, which could be prevented ifmeans were at hand for promptly closing the individual sprinkler orsprinklers that had become opened and so as to shutoif the flow of watertherefrom. So also it some times happens that a sprinkler becomes openedaccidentally and when there is no fire to be extinguished, and it wouldbe of great advantage to be able to promptly close such opened sprinklerWithout shutting off the water from theentire sprinkler system, or thatportion thereof upon which such opened sprinkler is located.

The object of the invention is to provide a convenient'and eiiicientmeans for thus closing an opened sprinkler and preventing the flow ofwater therefrom, when it is either inconvenient or undesirable to shut0E the water from the sprinkler system.

To that end the invention Vconsists in the novel construction andcombination of parts hereinafter described `and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of the sprinklercloser; Fig. 2 is a side view; Fig. 3 is a side view showing the devicein place in a sprinkler and closing the outlet thereof; Fig. 4 is a viewat right angles to Fig. 3, and showing the device in cross section; Fig.5 is an end view of Fig. 2; Figs. 6, 7 and 8 show means for insertingthe closer in place andthe manner of using the same.

The device consists ofA two legs or members a a pivoted together at b.To one of the members, as a, is attached a valve c, preferably by beingpivoted thereto as shown. The other member a is preferably provided withprojecting ears a2 a2 adapted to engage the frame of the sprinkler A andform stops to locate the valve c in line with the outlet of thesprinkler.

Secured to one leg of the device, as a', is a link Z preferably formedof elastic sheet metal and so as to constitute a spring, and providedwith slots or openings d. To the other leg is secured a lug o-rprojection c the end of which is preferably beveled as shown. Preferablya spring f is located hetween the legs a; a', said spring serving tokeep the legs or members in the position shown in Fig. 2.

The mode of using the device is as follows: The device with the parts inthe position shown in Fig. 2 is insert-ed within the frame of thesprinkler until the ears a2 a2 bring up against said frame, which willlocate the valve 0 in line with the outlet of the sprinkler. By pressingor pulling the separated ends of the legs a atogether the opposite endsof said legs will be separated andvso as to force the valve c againstthe valve seat of the sprinkler, the sprinkler frame serving as anabutment. This operation causes the spring link l to pass along thebeveled end of the lug e until when the valve is firmly seated said luge will be caused to enter one of the slots cl, thereby4 holding the legsa a in the position shown in Fig. 3 and so as to hold the valve c to thevalve seat'of the sprinkler. If desired the lug e instead of beingrigidly secured to the leg a may be secured thereto by an easily fusiblesolder, and so that in case the device should be accidentally left inplace until a fire should again break out, the melting of the solderwould release the lug c and consequently release the valve and therebypermitting the device to fall out of place and thus insure theautomat-ic opening of' the sprinkler.

As the closing device above described will require to be inserted inplace while the sprinkler is operating and discharging a shower ofwater, and also because there may not beyat hand a step ladder or othermeans for enabling a person to conveniently reach the sprinkler, whichis located near the ceiling, it will be desirable to provide some meansfor inserting the device from a `po-, sition upon the Hoor. Such meansare shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, said means consisting of a sta g providedwith a socket g at its upper end adapted to receive a tang g2 secured toone of the legs a a. As the sprinklers, instead of being located uprightabove the pipe, are sometimes arranged to extend downward from the pipe,thereby reversing the position of the valve seat, it will be convenientto provide each of the legs a a with a tang g2, so that the closingdevice may belinserted in the staff g with the valve c in reversedposition. A wire L arranged to slide in an eye 71. secured to the staff1has itsV upper end bent over to form a hook h2 and so as to overlie theupper leg of the closing device as shown in Fig. 8. Preferably thesocket g and the tangs g? are made rectangular in .shape to insure theinsertion of the tang in the socket so as to bring the leg of the devicein proper position to be engaged by the hook 71,2. rlhe lower end of thewire t is connected to a lever e' pivoted to the sta, which lever may beprovided with a suitable handle. When the closing device is to beinserted in a sprinkler the proper tang g2 is inserted in the socket g,with the hook h2 overlying one of the legs a a, and by means of thestali" the operator is enabled to insert the device from the floor, asillustrated in Fig. 8. When the device has been properly located in thesprinkler to bring the valves c in line with the outlet, the lever c' isdepressed, which causes a downward pull on the wire 7L and hook h2,thereby operating the underlying leg of the closing device to close thevalve c against the valve seat in the sprinkler. Vhen the valve has beenbrought to its seat it will be held there by the engagement of thespring link l with the lug e. The hook 7b2 may then be raised and thestaff withdrawn.

It is evident that the mechanical construction of the device and of theoperating What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by LettersPatent is:

1. An automatic sprinkler closer comprising two members, one adapted` toengage the frame of a sprinkler and the other provided with a valve forclosing the sprinkler nozzle, one of said members being movable withrelation to the other to force said valve against the valve-seatV of thesprinkler, means for holding the valve in position to close thesprinkler nozzle, and means for automatically releasing said valve incase of lire, substantially as described.

2. 'An automatic sprinkler closer comprising two members pivotedtogether, a valve connected to one of said members,and fusible means forconnecting said members to hold said valve to the valve seat of asprinklersubstantially as described..

3. An automatic sprinkler closer adapted to be inserted between thevalveseat and the opposing frame of an automatic sprinkler and comprising twomembers `pivoted together, a valve connected to one of said members, andmeans for connecting said members to hold said valve tothe valve seat ofthe sprinkler by the engagement ofthe other member with the frame YoftheY sprinkler, substantially as described.

4L. An automatic sprinkler closer comprising two members pivotedtogether, a valve connected to one of said members, and a spring catchfor connecting said members beyond the pivot, substantially asdescribed.

5. An automatic sprinkler closer comprising two members pivotedtogether, a valve connected to one of said members, acatch on one ofsaid members and a spring'link connected to the other member and adaptedto engage said catch, substantially as described. Y

6. An automatic sprinkler closer compris'- ing two members pivotedtogether, a valve connected to one of said members, a catch on one ofsaid members, and a spring link connected to the other member andprovided with a series ofopenings adapted to engage said catch,substantially as described.

7. The combination of an automatic sprinkler closer and a detachablestaff adapted to receive said closer and by means of which closer may belocated in position in a sprinkler, substantially as described.

8. The combination Vof an automatic sprinkler closer, a detachable staffadapted to receive said closer and by means o which the closer may belocated in position in a sprinkler, and means for operatingthe closer toclose the outlet ofsaid sprinkler, substantially as described.

9. rlhe combination of an automatic sprinkler closer, a stad adapted toreceive said closer and by means of whichthe closer may be located inposition in a sprinkler,

and a sliding member carried by said staii' y for operating the closerto close the outlet operating the closer, and a lever for operatofsaidl1 lprinkle, substantilly as described. ing said sliding member.

10. e com ination o an automatic sprinkler closer, a staff adapted toreceive LEONARD D' MOREY' 5 said closer and by means of Which the closerWitnesses:

may be located in position in a sprinkler, a C. E. DAVIS, sliding memberCarried by said staff for l C. B. BUCKINGHAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of VPatents, Washington, D. C.

